Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-04-24


dsFivahle from s1eh ofisial sots by Gov
ernoK Dcu1las. thsn Whom no man
stood justly higher for pK0Aiiy, cru
dence and thorough acr1aintancs with
she country. id engendef popular be-
lief that gold mass exist IN large guam
titles, or that teaa eminent af6cial would
never havs adopted 20 oelisate step.
His saQaaity, also, 10 worthy OF con
mendation IN gliding the temptation oy
announcing the riches" As forbidden
fruit. de thoronRhly knew the Amexi-
can creed that gold in the earth vas re-
Rarded as the lawful prize Of him veo
dug Il. Shrewdly. toe. be paadered 10
another frontier doctrine which served
q two-fold purpose. eff ycu e0me, cone
ID numbers, for the Indians have driven
OF vour race.n A contest between the
races had mot yet subsidized in Oregon
and Washington, and with his intimate
knowied9e Of frontier ethics. Governor
Douglas fully realized that the labor Of
securing gold would possess additional
zsst u. combined with Il, the necessity
existed 10 expel the Indiau. such a.
least vas the logic q that time. and
Governor Douglas adopted the very
wisest clan 70 atfraot numbers 10 the
Fraser river FL Dorado.
rHx JOURNALS OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE
HERALD TIE GOLD DISCOVERIES
TIE NEW ELDoRkDo.
II was not until March s, 1858. that
the Pfoaesr and DsEar Graf, published at
Olympia. vantured very cautiously g
advert editorially 10 the supposed
discoveries Of cold 10 the British Terri
'oFy: ID thea announced, Reported
n~fl Recommendation fan
publication Of the Fumors from Vic
toria came the QuasS offisial assurance
The same iicense Is demanded Of Brit
aims as we'll as Americans. British Sub
ieots and American citixans stand In
perfect eQaality a. to the privilege Of
working the minea." The iss0a OF
March 18th chronicles "Good news from
the cold mines" With more conf
dence, on the 18th Of March, the paper
heads its notice: at Gold Regions
North Highly Favorable Reports"
April 9Th: --latest from the Gold Re
eions-Further Encouraging News"
April 18th. in glowing eolofs, the Pc
neer gives the latest intelligence From
the Fraser River Geld Mines-Lste Re-
liable and OondFmatoTy Tidings." LIST
il be remembered that those
Who started from the American
side Of the Forty ninth Degree
could not have reached the dieginae.
owing to the difficulties Of travel, and
the high stages Of water. Hence Il vas
net the personal success Of the gold
seekers, thus chrouicled, IL was merely
the wOFd sent back WHOA the Americans
received from the Hadson Bay Com
psny employees as the former iourReysd
to the upper Fraser.
This much hes been Q71ted to show
the progress OF heralding the existence
of gold. The rapid spread of the ex-
citsment, substantially based upon the
dignity Of its origin and the great defer
ence for its eminent spsstle. is illustrated
by statement from the columns Of the
San Francisco Herald. as early as April
20, 1858, that the excitement in OalifoF-
MIA vas fully equal TO that existing in
the lantic States in 1880. in regard
to California" The Psoaesr, Of April
30th, announces the arrival OF the
steamer Commsdors at Victoria With
$50 passengers, and the Columbia AZ
Olympia with $50 In the foregoing
memoranda is portrayed the modest
doubling start Of the journal nearest 10
the gold fields, most liable to be in
fected with the excitement, and most IN.
terssted in attracting immigrants 10 the
vicinaRe. Although its advertising col
unns contained the authoritative invita-
ton of Gov. Douglas to eome and pay
| for the privilege Of DIGGING fer gold
where he officially proclaimed its exist
ence, yet that journal, Fthacting the
sentiments Of the people of Oregon and
Washington, did not feel warranted IN
attempting to create sensation. These
facts, which are indisputables Fepel
the idea that there vas any ex
oitemant in the American territories
previous to the spring Of 1858. They
clearly also establish the converse OF
the Proposition, and that the inception
of the Fraser river excitement is attrib
utable exclusively to the official acts of
the late sir James Douglas, then Gev
ernor of Vancouver Isl4nd. The tide
had nov, however, fairly set towards
Fraser river. towards British Columbia.
MINING ExoIrEMENT, TIE FRAsER RIVER
An ILLUSTRATION OF ITS RISE
AND PROGRESS.
The contemplation Of one of these
gold miRratioBs is q pardozable, IL not
a necessary DEPRESSION. The one under
consideration is we'll marked 10 all its
phases. It Is eminently worthy Of the
close attention Of the student. Like
fever. IL will be found 10 have had it's
successive stages. Spreading far and
vide over the earth's circumference.
possibly INJECTING even q larger field
then its predecessor of California, IL
developed quickly, rushed madly to toe
crisis, then as rapidly subsidized. One
short eventual year ehronicled its rise,
its progress and its fall. II almost de-
pleted Oregon and Washington Of their
male population, Who rushed In large
numbers to the new gold fields. All the
approaches 70 the new mines we're
through aud around those territories.
The hitherto unfrequented and almost
usknown ports OF Puget Sound were
suddenly enlivened by the hustle ahd
excitement Of newly created trade,an
swarmsd with the gold pilgrims 81 roEts
TO the Fraser. San Franoiaao will not
forget that eyentful year, the vast ear
goes leaving the Golden city on all sorts
Of vessels, calling into requisition old
hulks lsBR before laid up 10 rot. which
IN ordinary business transactions, 9 man
OF Judgment would hardly risk the
weight Of feather aboard, surely net
invest more than lie value IN such q
ventuse, YES thesa old hulks carried
| thousands to the Northern 81 Dorado.
Truly she gold mania Il irresistible, car
ryinG all before Il, remodelinQ and rev
OlutioHizing every section u infects.
OFFICIAL ACTS or eovKRzoR DouoLAs. As
THE IMMIGRATION INCREASES.
To reeur nov to the cuFrent acts of
Governor DOuRlas. after the arrival of
vast numbers At Victoria. On the e,h
April. 1858, he had written 10 the Score
tary Of stats FOR the Colonies: sThe
search for gold aud prospecting, had up
10 the last dates from the Interior been
carried on by the Native Indian popula-
ton" Can any one doubt that tiII this
time. Gov. ID JaRlas vas acting solely on
the statements Of Indians, and his faith
in the country On the slh NAY. be
again addressed toe Secretary, sxultino
IN the advent Of Numbers 70 the Colony.
and boldly avoviRe the PROTEST Of AJAX.
ing Victoria q port between San Fran
sisno and the gold mines, converting the
latter into feeder and depcndeney Of
the Slony OF Viotoria. After dsgei
haa r.fana ha afwE.s efEa-.